To keep a vehicle running smoothly, its vital to carry out certain car checks on a regular basis. Cars suffer from wear and tear. Many components start to degrade and get damaged during the course of a year. These problems should be addressed as quickly as possible. Some car parts only need to be cleaned. With more serious car problems repairs are required or parts need to be replaced altogether. Neglecting your vehicle brings with it many problems. It’s dangerous, expensive and has a negative impact on the environment. However, making sure you carry out the following vital car checks regularly will help you avoid problems later on.
Check the Engine and Emissions
The engine of your car is probably the most important part of a vehicle. This means it needs to be maintained regularly and checked for any problems. The emissions from a car have also become an important consideration for car owners. Emissions inspections are carried out to ensure your car’s engine is running as smoothly as possible and is not emitting high amounts of pollutants into the atmosphere.
The latest car diagnostics tools let motorists carry out their own tests. Various devices have been developed to check every component in a car. However, a large proportion of car diagnostic tools do not test cars properly so you should be aware of this.
Many are imported clones that are only able to support half of the data of high quality devices like the ELM 327 USB car scanner. This scanner is much more effective because it includes a processor that’s based around the Elm Electronics 2.1 code. This means it produces fast, accurate readings you can trust. This is not always the case with cheap, imported clones for sale on websites like eBay and Alibaba.
The ELM 327 USB car scanner is easy to use and is compatible with most cars. You simply install OBD software like TOAD (Total OBD and ECU Auto Diagnostics) on your laptop. Then you connect the ELM 327 USB car scanner to the laptop and your car. The interface displays all the relevant data about your car. If a problem is detected, the user is notified through the interface and they are even told how to fix any problems found.
Check Wheels and Tires
Your cars wheels are the only part of your car that make contact with the road. This means drivers place a lot of trust in them. The wheels and tires of your car should be checked regularly. Tires wear out and imbalances occur. Rotating, balancing and aligning your wheels regularly will prevent uneven wear and tear on tires which reduces fuel efficiency and can even cause punctures or blowouts.
Don’t take risks with tires. Replace any tires that are worn and make sure they are always inflated to the correct PSI (Pound Per Square Inch). Regular visual checks should be adequate but you can also use a tire pressure gauge to make sure your tires are inflated properly.
Check your Cars Fluids
Most cars have a range of components that require different types of fluids. Many motorists find this confusing and fail to check all of the components that require specific types of fluids. The main fluids you need to check include the following:
- Engine oil.
- Transmission fluid.
- Coolant or anti-freeze.
- Brake fluid.
- Power steering fluid.
- Windshield washer fluid.
- Water
If you’re unsure about how to check each fluid, get help from a mechanic or find out from a motoring expert. Once you know how to do each task once, you won’t have to rely on a mechanic every time you need to check, change or top up each type of fluid in your vehicle. If a leak occurs address the problem immediately.
Replace Important Filters
Every car has a number of filters that keep air, fuel and oil clean and free from contamination. To do their jobs properly each type of filter needs to be checked, cleaned or replaced at certain times. The most important filters include the cabin air filter, the engine air filter and oil filter.
A cars cabin air filter ensures that the air entering the inside of your car is fresh and clean. These filters are normally easy to replace and can be fitted by motorists with little or no mechanical knowledge or skills.
A cars engine air filter should be checked and changed on a regular basis. The frequency depends on the model and where you drive your car. If you check the filter and its dirty, it’s time to replace it.
Most people are familiar with oil filters. These filters prevent contaminated oil from entering your car’s engine. These filters need to be changed regularly along with the oil to ensure there is a flow of clean oil, free from pollutants.
Check Bulbs and the Condition of Light Fittings
It’s vital that all of the lights in your car work and can be clearly seen at night. Indicators also need to be checked because a blown indicator light can confuse other drivers especially if your turn left or right and this light does not appear. Water and condensation can sometimes get into the light fittings of a car too so be aware of this because it could affect your lights later.
A car should be safe, efficient and comfortable to travel in. Carrying out the vital checks above will ensure this and reduce the costs associated with car repairs which could be avoided by taking better care of your car.
